6 Right ways to use job boards and one wrong way

According to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics, Colorado had the lowest unemployment rate in the country this spring (May 2017), so that means companies are hiring! While we know that networking with new contacts and existing connections to land your next job works best – in fact, studies from CareerXRoads, JobVite, SHRM and others show networking to be the most effective way to get hired – that does not mean a job seeker should ignore job boards. But there are right and wrong ways to use job boards.

Here are six ways you should be utilizing job boards.

 (1) Create your profile within the job board website, if this opportunity exists. Having your profile set up (and set is to confidential, when possible, if you are currently working) allows recruiters to search for and find you to reach out to you for interviews.

Do not be the one who has to find opportunities all of the time – put yourself out there to be found by hiring managers looking for people like you.

(2) Set up job alerts. Don’t spend hours droning over listings looking for the right job. There is no bigger time suck than searching aimlessly and endlessly for dream position.

Instead, set up pre-programmed alerts to have the jobs you are interested in emailed to you. This will drastically reduce the time spent reading volumes of postings every day – time that you can use to perform more active and personal search activities – like making professional connections with previous and new contacts via email, phone and in person.

By defining specific search parameters in the job alert functions, you will receive email alerts when jobs that fit what you are looking for pop up.

(3) Introduce yourself directly. Use information found in the job description to find possible positions. Perform a search with the keywords of the department or other identifying factors in the job description using LinkedIn and Google. Find an email or phone contact info to reach out to the non-HR hiring manager directly.

(4) Find someone who can introduce you. Network with a connection to be introduced to someone within the company to refer you into the target organization. No direct contact with a hiring manager? Aim to become an employee referral into the firm. Use LinkedIn to see who you know.

(5) Upload a branded, keyword rich resume to be Found. When you are going to apply for the job via a posting, use a well-written resume that is keyword rich for the phrases and vernacular  pertinent to the job/industry for which you are applying. This increases your chances of being found by recruiters.

(6) Employ the “Where there is smoke, there is fire” approach. With this concept, if you see indirect hiring activity at a company, inquire how it may affect hiring in your area of expertise.

For example, if you are an accountant, and you see a company hiring a small army of sales professionals, deduce that the company may need to expand their accounting team.

Companies will appreciate this and it could help you discover unpublished openings, as well.

The key is to stop using job boards the wrong way – to sit for hours searching for the right job.

These tips will help you master job boards. And remember, someone with experience in writing resumes as well as conducting effective job searches can be instrumental in helping you land the job you were meant for.